One hundred scientists, scientific bodies and organizations from different parts of the world have joined forces with WWF Greece to urge Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras to cancel planned hydrocarbon exploration and exploitation in the Ionian Sea, the environmental conservation group said in a press release Monday.

The experts supporting the initiative argue that the planned exploration for hydrocarbon reserves off Greece’s western coast will have a devastating effect on the country’s marine environment and marine life, even at the first phase of seismic surveys.